Evidence-based Practice Toolkit
Your organization’s all-in-one resource for EBP implementation and sustainability
by David Gerad
What is the EBP Implementation Toolkit?
The Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for EBP in Nursing and Healthcare has created a new EBP Implementation toolkit designed to be the perfect fit to implement and sustain EBP at your organization.
This toolkit is a comprehensive step-by-step guide containing all of the information, resources, templates, instructions and a roadmap to successfully bring evidence-based practice to a healthcare organization. Starting with establishing an EBP culture and ending with sustained evidence-based decision making (EBDM) across the organization, this toolkit will help lead healthcare organizations into the future of healthcare delivery.
“I’ve been a chief nurse executive in five different organizations. Getting a really good initiative or process both implemented and sustained is an incredibly difficult process,” said Penelope Gorsuch, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, USAF Col. (retired), clinical core assistant director. “From my experience, organizations need guidance, structure and information organized in such a way that leads to real results. That’s why we created this toolkit: to provide a dynamic, interactive and comprehensive template to create and sustain successful change within your organization.”
Who could benefit from the toolkit?
Healthcare organizations are the main audience for the toolkit, but each unique organization must be broken down into those who will lead the implementation and scale implementation at the organizational level. From a practical standpoint, the goal of EBP implementation must first be understood by the organizational leadership. They must then charge those who lead the creation of EBP infrastructure at their organization to lead this change mentality. Typically, organizations have or create an interdisciplinary EBP Council/Committee made up of leadership, individual staff nurses, EBP practitioners (physicians and nurse practitioners), and quality improvement staff (educators, best practice leads and MAGNET coordinators).
A secondary but equally important audience for using this toolkit are academics who must embed evidence-based practice and decision making into their curricula. The more faculty who understand full EBP implementation, the better we can help students prepare as future leaders in their clinical settings.
“Healthcare decisions based on ‘the way we’ve always done it’ are no longer acceptable because there is a way to make better decisions that are achievable and sustainable, regardless of the type, size or the complexity of the healthcare setting,” said Lynn Gallagher-Ford, PhD, RN, NE-BC, DPFNAP, FAAN, chief operating officer and clinical core director. “Utilizing an evidence-based approach to problem solving will lead to better decisions and improved outcomes for patients, clinicians, consumers and organizations.”
The long-run receiver of EBP is the patient because EBP and EBDM can play a vital role in the prevention of medical errors.
Why is there a need for this toolkit?
Change is hard. This toolkit helps break down barriers to change, even in established change-resistant organizations, and provides distinct, evidence-based components. It empowers EBP practitioners across the globe with what they need to “get it done.”
“I have studied change: including individual, behavior, clinician, culture, organizational change throughout the course of my career and that’s what got me so interested in both implementation science and evidence-based practice,” said Sharon Tucker, PhD, APRN-CNS, NC-BC, FNAP, FAAN, implementation science core director. “This isn’t only about human change at the individual level to promote health, but collective change within an organizational ecosystem. Our toolkit addresses the multiple levels and the depth of change required to create success. It’s all about change!”
What makes this toolkit unique?
“This toolkit is unique and different than others in so many ways. We understood that successful evidence-based practice requires an evidence-based implementation so we constructed it using resources, best practices and research from the field of implementation science to create our model and this approach to implementation and sustainment,” said Molly McNett, PhD, RN, CNRN, FNCS, FAAN, implementation science core assistant director. “In the place where it matters most, a healthcare organization, there is nothing more frustrating than seeing an EBP project stall – our toolkit gives you everything you need for it to come to fruition.”
How is it available?
This toolkit is offered through the Fuld Institute for EBP’s EBP HQ. The EBP HQ is the Fuld Institute for EBP’s resource for all-things EBP. For more information about the EBP Implementation Toolkit and the EBP HQ, please visit: fuld.nursing.osu.edu/become-a-member.